Lemon-pepper chicken cutlets with garlicky green beans
15 min · 37 g protein · 306 cals / serving
Thin chicken cutlets pressed with fresh lemon zest, cracked black pepper and garlic, seared golden in minutes and finished with a quick lemon pan sauce. Garlicky green beans blister in a second pan while the chicken cooks. Dinner for four in 15 minutes, with no butter and no flour.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lb chicken breast, 4 thin-sliced cutlets, about 1 cm (3/8 inch); if you halve 2 large breasts, press them to that thickness
Lemon-pepper rub
- 2 tsp lemon zest, from 2 lemons
- 1 1/2 tsp black pepper, coarsely cracked
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 lb green beans, trimmed (or a bag of pre-trimmed beans)
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp water
Lemon pan sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Steps
- Stir the lemon zest, cracked pepper, garlic powder and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt together. Pat the cutlets dry and press the mix onto both sides.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the 4 cutlets in one layer and cook 3–4 minutes a side, until golden and 165°F inside. Lift onto a plate.
- Meanwhile, warm the remaining oil with the sliced garlic in a second large skillet over medium heat until it sizzles, then add the green beans, the water and the last pinch of salt. Cover for 4 minutes, then uncover and toss over high heat for 2–3 minutes until the water has gone and the beans blister in spots.
- When the cutlets are out, pour the broth and lemon juice into the chicken pan and let it bubble for a minute, scraping up the brown bits, until reduced by about half.
- Return the chicken and its juices to the pan, turn the cutlets in the sauce and scatter with parsley. Serve with the green beans. Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge: slice the chicken and reheat it covered at half power for 1–2 minutes with its pan juices, or eat it cold over salad leaves.
Good to know
Can I use a jar of lemon-pepper seasoning?
Yes: 2 teaspoons replaces the zest, pepper and garlic powder. Most blends are already salted, so cut the salt to a pinch, and add the zest of one lemon anyway for the fresh smell.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes, boneless thighs stay juicier reheated, at about 60 instead of 72. Flatten them a little with your palm and give them 4 minutes a side.
Per
- Calories
- 122
- Protein
- (51%)
- 15 g
- Fat
- (37%)
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- (13%)
- 4 g
- of which sugar
- 1 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 309 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1226 kcal goes into the pot and 1296 g of ingredients comes out as about 1004 g of food: 122 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.